On Monday 23rd May 2022, the Electrical Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Transport and Works, Urban Development and Local Government launched their Safety Awareness program. The launch is designed to educate the public and consumers about the hazards associated with electricity and electrical safety in the home and workplace.
To begin the activities, there will be two whistle stops starting at Fancy on the Windward side of the island and Chateaubelair on the Leeward side of the island, ending at Kingstown. On Thursday and Friday, safety awareness forums will be held at technical institutes around the country. The week will culminate with an exhibition at the Old Treasury Building site.
Hetlyn Francis, Chief Electrical Inspector for the Ministry of Transport and Works, spoke at the modest launch on the current re-electrification programme that involves the installation of new and proper wiring in homes to meet proper safety standards. Francis stressed that all of this would be free of charge for all households that meet the requirements.
As part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ 40th Anniversary of Independence, the retrofitting programme is part of the Renewal at Forty program, which started in 2020. Despite being successful in the first year of the program, it was interrupted by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano in year 2. More than 40 homes have already been retrofitted.
Aside from domestic and commercial installations being certified by the department for 10 years, Francis urges property owners who have had their properties certified before 2012 to come in and have their properties recertified.